Xisco Munoz's Watford side are interested in a deal that would bring the exciting forward Ike Ugbo to Vicarage Road this summer.

What's the word?

That's according to The Athletic, who revealed that the Hornets have opened talks with Chelsea regarding a £5 million move for the 22-year-old, with a meeting scheduled in the next few weeks to thrash out the details.

However, it is then reported that Eintracht Frankfurt, Genk and Monaco are also considering a move for the striker, meaning that sporting director Cristiano Giaretta could well have his work cut out in securing a deal.

Giaretta must act quickly

Despite him having yet to make his debut for the Chelsea first team, Ugbo has shown signs of real promise during a number of loan spells away from west London.

In 2019/20, the £2.25 million-rated forward spent the season with Dutch side Roda JC Kerkrade, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists over his 29 appearances for the Eerste Divisie outfit.

This year, Ugbo has been with Cercle Brugge, bagging 16 goals over his 32 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League, with his clinical edge in the final third ensuring that his side survived relegation from the Belgian top-flight - with the forward being dubbed "decisive" by the Belgian media.

Furthermore, despite his tender age, the 22-year-old has averaged an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97 over his time at Cercle Brugge - ranking him as Yves Vanderhaeghe's eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, it is clear that the Chelsea youngster is a player with a significant amount of potential, and, considering the rather modest £5 million fee, Ugbo could represent an extremely astute investment for the future of the football club.

However, with a number of European clubs also keeping a very close eye on the starlet ahead of the summer transfer window, Giaretta must ensure that he is efficient in his dealings with Chelsea in order to land the forward ahead of those other potential suitors.

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